A recent update from Sky News revealed that, as of now, no funded studies have been conducted to investigate the effectiveness of medical cannabis. However, U.K.-based Celadon Pharmaceuticals has embarked on a clinical trial involving 5,000 patients with chronic pain, marking a notable development.
In March of this year, Celadon Pharmaceuticals made history by becoming the first U.K. company licensed by the Home Office, the British government agency, to distribute its products to private clinics authorized to prescribe cannabis. Initially, Celadon Pharmaceuticals conducted a preliminary study involving 500 patients, finding that cannabis helped reduce reliance on opioids and improved sleep. Subsequently, both the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the NHS Research Ethics Committee approved a larger clinical trial by Celadon Pharmaceuticals this summer.
The trial, believed to be the only one of its kind in the U.K., aims to generate a dataset supporting doctors’ prescriptions of cannabis-based medicines. It could eventually facilitate reimbursement by the NHS and insurance companies, broaden access for patients through General Practitioners, and allow organizations like charities to recruit participants. James Short, co-founder of Celadon, emphasized that the company sees itself primarily as a pharmaceutical entity rather than a cannabis-focused one.
Several patients, particularly parents advocating for medical cannabis, have urged the government to enhance accessibility and affordability for families. Individuals like Hannah Deacon, Emma Appleby, Emma Matthews, Matt Hughes, and Karen Gray from the U.K. have become prominent voices in the fight for their children’s right to cannabis-based treatments.
Despite numerous personal accounts attesting to the benefits of medical cannabis, U.K. doctors remain cautious. Dr. Alan Fayaz, an NHS consultant and spokesperson for the British Pain Society, highlighted the medical community’s skepticism, especially in the wake of the opioid epidemic, which has cast a shadow over the introduction of new drugs without robust evidence.
Fayaz stressed the need for research to identify the role cannabis could play in medical treatment. The current situation creates a two-tiered system, where only patients with private prescriptions can access medical cannabis, which proves to be prohibitively expensive. Patients like Chad Martin, paying £300 per month ($378 USD) for medical cannabis to treat arthritis, underscore the financial challenges faced by those seeking cannabis-based treatment.
The Home Office initiated a cannabis review in June 2018, and in 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) expressed insufficient evidence supporting medical cannabis for epilepsy. However, in March 2021, NICE updated its stance, stating there is no recommendation against the use of cannabis-based medicinal products. In March 2023, NICE approved Epidyolex, a CBD-based medicine, for individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex.
Photo by: Artem Podrez
